Back flips on a jet ski?? Watch these awesome skills as freestyler gets ready for record attempt

Ant Burgess is trying to break the world record for back flips on a jet ski

Share

Get daily updates directly to your inbox

Thank you for subscribing!

Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email

If you've seen a gymnast do back flips across the gym floor you'll know how hard it looks.

Now imagine doing it on a jet ski!

World champion jet skier Ant Burgess, 26, perfected his skills in the sea off North Wales and this week will attempt to break the world record of 36 back flips in a row.

Watch Ant practise for the record attempt

Video Loading

Video Unavailable

Click to playTap to play

The video will start in 8Cancel

Play now

The challenge will take place at the All Wales Boat Show in Pwllheli on Sunday.

Current record-holder, Lee Stone, managed 36 back flips on a jet ski in November 2014. But freestyler Ant, who won the World Pro Freestyle jet-ski championship in 2013, is determined to smash the record.

Ant said: “I’m really looking forward to it, it’s the first major event of the season and it’s in a really great location, so it’s definitely going to be one of the highlights of my year.

“I’ve done 25 back flips in a row before, so I’ll be aiming for around 40 this time to make sure. It will make me really dizzy but I’m always up for a challenge.”

Ant Burgess is among the experts who will show off their skills

The All Wales Boat Show starts on May 8 at Plas Heli, Pwllheli’s new £8.3m Welsh National Sailing Academy and Events Centre.

Ant, a plumber from Nantwich in Cheshire, will be performing back flips on his £30,000 DVX 12000 jet ski. Weighing 13.5 stone, he trains at the gym four times a week, working to build his chest and arm muscles and keep up his core strength to lift his 150kg jet ski out of the water.

He said: “You need a lot of core strength, because you’re basically lifting twice your weight out of the water and up and over your head.

“People often ask me what I think about when I’m upside down, but you can’t think of anything you have to be 100 per cent focused, if you make one false move you’ll hurt yourself.”

Freestyler Ant Burgess

Having spent many weekends as a child practising off the coast of Rhosneigr and Colwyn Bay, Ant is looking forward to attempting to break the world record in North Wales.

“It’s great because there’s always a wave in North Wales, always something to keep challenging you.”

Managing Director of Wales Watersports International, Davina Carey-Evans, who are organising the event, said: “We believe the show can be a big success, and put down a real marker for the huge potential of the marine sector in Wales and the positive impact it can have on our economy as a whole.

“We will have an even bigger range of boats on show this year with everything from high end luxury craft like Fairline and Chaparral to Sealeg which is a rib that can literally drive onto a beach.

“We’ll also have hand built boats, boats that you can fold up and put in the back of your car and paddle boards.

“In addition, there’ll be plenty of entertainment with a jet ski world champion and wakeboarding displays.”